Coming Home




Chapter 3: It Still Hurts

What a long day. Thank God it's over, Abby thought as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. As she was just about to unlock her door, she heard a voice inside. It was a man's voice-Carter's voice. But, what the hell was Carter doing in her apartment-and who was he talking to? She turned the key slowly and peaked in the doorway. She recognized immediately that the voice was coming from her answering machine:

"-but I was a jackass. I was-completely-and you have every right to be angry with me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for leaving you the way I did. I was hurting, and unjustifiably angry with you for not being with me when I needed you most. I was wrong. You were there for me. You came to Gamma's funeral, but I still treated you like shit. I am so sorry. This isn't meant as a desperate plea to get you back. I don't deserve that. I am just hoping that you will be able to forgive me, so we can be civil to each other at work, and maybe even be friends. Maybe that's too much to ask, but I hope that meeting to talk at some point isn't. You pick the time and place, and I'll be there. I'm so sorry again, Abby. Hopefully we'll talk soon. Bye."

Abby sat down on her bed as she listened to the whole message again. She wondered if she should call him back. She wanted so desperately to reconcile with him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was still so angry. She couldn't get passed her anger at Carter for leaving her and-well, he only knew he was leaving her, but that didn't change the way she felt.

(Scenes change back and forth between Abby and Carter at their homes while the song "If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield plays in the background).


Abby lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Carter did the same in his own bed.

Abby sat up slowly and opened the bottom drawer of her side table. She pulled out a few things, searching for something hidden at the bottom. She found a picture of Carter and her-the only picture she had saved. She stared at it for a little while and then stood up.

Back at Carter's, he washed his face in the bathroom. He dried off, and headed back to his bedroom. The phone rang and he jumped to answer it, but it was a wrong number. He sat down on his bed again.

Abby was at her dresser looking at another picture, but only she could see what it was a picture of. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She flipped it back over on her dresser. She left the picture of Carter there as well.

Carter crawled into bed and stared at the phone.

Abby went to her living room to watch TV. After only a few seconds, she turned off the TV, put on a coat, grabbed her keys, and walked out the door.

**********

Susan Lewis was awakened from a sound sleep by a loud knocking at her front door. She was a little disoriented at first. "What the hell?" she said out loud to herself as she tied her robe around her waist and headed very slowly to the door. "This better be important," she said, talking to herself again. She looked through her peephole and saw Abby's face. Her red, puffy eyes looked like she had been crying, and her cheeks were pink from the cold. Susan quickly opened the door. "Abby, come in. It's one-o'clock in the morning, are you all right?"

"Not really," Abby answered, plopping down on the couch.

"What happened?"

"He called."

"And?"

"He left a message. He apologized. I want to forgive him, but I'm still so angry with him for leaving me like this."

"Abby, there's no way he could have known."

"Yeah, but he knew he was leaving me, and he did it anyway." Susan gave Abby a hug. She stroked her hair as she began to sob.

"I know it hurts. I know, Abby. It wouldn't hurt this much if you didn't still love him." Abby pulled away a little, and spoke through her tears.

"I just don't want him to want to get back together just because-you know…"

"So don't tell him right away, but he will find out eventually, and it will be better coming from you."

"You won't tell him, will you?"

"I haven't told anyone, just like I promised."

"Thanks, Susan. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you."

"You'd have to call one of those late night talk shows."

"No way, I'd rather wake up Weaver and talk to her at one-o'clock in the morning."

"Really?"

"Well, maybe not..." Susan and Abby burst out laughing. Abby wiped her eyes with a tissue. "Can I stay here tonight? I'll sleep on the couch."

"No," Susan responded. Abby looked confused. Then Susan added, "You take my bed. You look like you could use a good night's sleep." Abby hugged Susan again.

"Thank you."

**********

Just as Susan had lain down on her couch and covered herself with a blanket, there was another knock at the door. She groaned, "What the hell is this, Motel 6?" She threw off her blanket and stood up. "I'm coming," she said.

Looking out the peephole, she saw Carter's face. "Carter?" she whispered to herself. She wasn't sure what to do. She looked down the hall. There was no sign of Abby, so she quietly opened the door. "Carter, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Susan. I know it's late. I just need someone to talk to, and I didn't know where to go."

"Umm," Susan looked down the hall again. There was still no sign of Abby. "This isn't really the best time,"

"Oh, do you have company?" Carter half-smiled and lifted his eyebrows.

"Kind of…" Susan closed the door behind her and joined Carter outside. "What's wrong? Wait, let me guess. It's about Abby."

"Yeah, who else? I called and left a message, but the waiting's killing me."

"You have to give her some time, Carter. She'll come around."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Thanks, Susan. Sorry again."

"Don't sweat it, Carter." Susan watched him walk to his car. She then quietly shut the door and locked it. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who was that?" Abby's voice startled Susan so much that she must have jumped a foot off the ground.

"Umm…" Susan's mind was blank. "Umm, the old lady next door thought she heard a prowler. She wanted to ask if I heard anything. She's a little senile."

"Oh. I thought I heard a man's voice."

"She's, uh, been off her estrogen pills for a while."



Part 4
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